Brake-control and signal system for single-track railways.



P SCHNEIDER. I BRAKE CONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR SINGLE TRACK RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED' OCT. Ill I913.

Patented 11111211916.

2a I/wc/v-rok Arron/w unirnn strains earner Prion,

PETER SCHNEIDER, OF OSiNEGO, NEW YORK. I

BRAKE-GONTROL AND SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR SINGLE-TRACK. RAIL-WAYS.

Specification of Letters Pa tent,

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application filed October 17, 1913. Serial No. 795,675

' This invention relates to certain improvements in automatic brake-setting apparatus for railway-block systems and may be used c in connection with certain forms of electrithat block.

cally operated block signals which are maintained in their inoperative positions by normally closed circuits connected with the rails and adapted to be released to their operative positions at opposite ends of each block by short circuiting of the signal-operating circuits through the medium of the axles of an engine, train or car which may enter that particular block forthe purpose of setting signals against the entraneeof other engines, trains or cars from either end of such block when any of the rolling stock is stationed therein or passing therethrougb,

It sometimes happens from various causes that the driver of the motor will fail to observe a block signal which. is set against him and will, therefore, enter a block at greater or less speed when another train is present therein, resulting in loss of life and damage to property by collision.

It is well known that practically all engines or motor cars are equipped with suitable valves for setting the air brakes on the engine and throughout the several cars of a train in order to stop the train abruptly in case of emergency, and the primary object of my invention is to provide means for automatically operating the emergency brakecontrolling valve on an engine, car or train which may be about to enter either end of a block in which another engine, car or'train is located so as to set the brakes upon and stop such approaching train before entering Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a. diagrammaticview of a portion of a railway divided into blocks, electrically operating block signals therefor, and portions of the electrical' apparatus adapted. to cooperate with certain mechanism carried by the engine or other parts of the train for operating the engineers brake valve Fig. 2 is a detail view of the valve-operating member carriedby the engine and one of its .coacting devices located alongside of the track in the path of said member. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View of a semaphore signal and its operating magnet.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have shown a portion of a railway track 1- divided into blocksof any suitable length, the ends of the rails of each block being insulated from each other by insulation -2' so that the rails of each blOC-k may be separately energized from a suitable source or sources of electric energy as batteries 3 which are connected by wires -'4-* and -4 across the rails.

Separately operated pairs of electric s'ignals -5, --5-, --6-, 6., and 7- and 7 are'suitaoly installed in conspicu oushplaees in proximity to the ends of each blce so as to be. clearly visible by the drivers of motors along the track in either direction and, therefore, the signals of each pair are arranged to face in opposite directions in the direction of length of the track, the signal facing each block being electrically connccted by wires 8-- across the rails of the next adjacent block. It, therefore, follows that when no car ortrain is present in any of the blocks,.the signal circuits for such blocks Wlll be normally closed, thereby energizing the signals 5 5', -6, 6-, -7 and '7 to normally hold them. in their inoperative positions, but on the other hand as soon as a train enters any one of the blocks, one or more of the axles which are usually made of steel or some electrical conducting material together with the wheels mounted thereon will short circuit the signal circuits for adjacent blocks, thereby releasing the signals such as semaphores anoallowmg them to gravitate to their opera tive EOSlfilOHS to warn the drivers of any train we of the block that t pied.

In Fig. 3, 1 have shown diagrammatically one of t e s gnals as havin a weighted seniephore arm -9-- pivoted at -1G-- to a suitable support and connected to the core or plunger of a solenoid 11- which is normally energized when no cars are present in the blocks to hold the semaphore 9- in its operatlve position but, as previously stated, as soon as any signal circuit is short cire block is already occu- *of my invention in connection therewith s0 a series of two completeblocks and portions of additional blocks at the ends thereof and these blocks may be designated as A-, B, C and 'D ahdfifor convenience of illustrating the operation of my inveptipnl have shown by dotted lines a car axle 'E representing a car or train in the block B, thereby short circuiting the electric circuits leading respectively to the electricfsignals -5- and -6'- to deenergize their respective magnets and allow the corresponding semaphores to drop to their operative positions to protect the train in that particular block against the entrance of other trains from either end thereof. the corresponding signals of each block being similarly set by cars or trains which may enter the same. It is evident, however, that as the train passes out of'any block, as for example the block 'B,' the corresponding signals 5 and -6 will be renergized'to restore their respective semaphores to their inoperative positions. These signaling devices and their respective electro circuits are shown more particularly :to illustrate the use as to obviate the necessity of installing a separate electrical system for the Several devices employed in connection with the autohereinafter the slgnal set'against him, the lower end of matic brake-setting mechanism more fully set forth.

I preferably employ separate sets of brakesetting mechanisms one for each end of each block, each set comprising separate electromagnets -15- and 16. and corresponding armatures -l7- and l8--, the elec tromagnet 15 for the endof each block being connected by wires -19. to the signal circuit for the next adjacent block and it, therefore; follows that this magnet will 'be energized from the signal circuit when no car is present in the corresponding block,

thereby attracting and holding its armature 17- in a predetermined position.

As illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, each armature 17 is made in the form of a lever and fulcrumed at -20, having a heel '-21 normally engaged with one of the members of an electric switch 22 for normally closing said switch which when released is self-opening and may be of any well known type adapted for this purpose.-

Each-clectric switch '22 is connected in a separate electric circuit 24- having preferably a separate source of electric energy '25- and includi'n therein the electromagnet 16- which is,'th erefore, normally energized to attract its armature 18 and hold i in a predetermined position. This armature is connected to one end of a rock shaft -25- carrying at one end a ratchet wheel -26- and at its other end a rpck arm or brake-controlling member 2 The rock shaft 25- may be supported 'in any suitable manner not necessary to here- "'"'l'n illustrate or describe for supporting the rock arm 27 along the outer side of. the track, but in close proximity thereto'for engagement by, a valve operating member 30 which is mounted on the engine in such manner as to'engage and operate the engineers brake valve as 31 when the rock arm 27 is set by the entrance'of a ,Car or train in the corresponding block.

I It is now clear that the electromagnet -15 will be deenergized simultaneously with the deenergizing of the corresponding 'signalmagnet by the entrance of a car or tra1n 1n that particular block and this deenergizing of the magnet 15 will release its armature 17 and therebyallow the corresponding switch 22- to open for breaking the circuit 24 and thus deen- ,ergizing the elcctromagnet 16-.-. This deenergizing of the magnet 16 releases its armature 18 which is. weighted sufficiently to rock theshaft D and thereby adjust the brake-controlling member -27 to an inclined position as shown in Fig. 2 in the path of the lower end of the valve operating member -30 so that whenthis block is occupied by a car or train and an other car or train seeks to enter that block through the failure'of the driverto observe the valve-operating member -30 on the engine will ride against the inclined brake: controlling member 27- which in turn will effect a rocking movement of the valves operating .Inember sufficient to open the engineers brake valve .31 and thereby apply the brakes throughout the train for alltomatically stopping the same before entering such block.

The free end of the armature 17 con stitutesa locking pawl which when released by the denergizing of the magnet 15 drops by its own gravity into locking engagement with the ratchet wheel 26- to positively hold the member 27 in its inclined position in the path of the lower crank lever is provided with a counterweight- 34- to return it. to its normal position after operating the valve 31. This operation of the engineers brake valve will, of course stop the train before entering a block in winch another car or train is located or through which it is moving and after the train is brought to a stop automatically, the nginccr or driver has simply to return the valve 3'ito its normal position. On the other hand. if a train is in a block and another train has been stopped at the approach of such block, the approaching train will ha. e caused the setting of the signals against the train in the first named block and will also have adjusted the automatic brake-setting device as the contact member 27- so that as the first named train attempts to leave It? block with the approaching frain ahead of it, its valve-operating memeer -30- viii contact with the member -27- before leaving such block and thereby operate the engiueer s brake valve to bring such train to a stop. thus giving positive notice to both engine drivers that something is wrong ahead and with the result of an investigation and readjustment of the trains to .enable them to pass each other.

I have shown the separate sets of brakesctting apparatus for opposite ends of each block at opposite sides of the track, one set for trains moving in one direction and the other set for trains moving in the opposite direction although it evident. that they ma a be located at the same side of the track and the valve-operating mechanism properh located on the engine to Contact with their cooperative contacts 27- in case the latter are automatically adjusted for use in the manner previously described to avoid collision.

It is believed that the construction and operation of my invention has been set forth with sutiicient clearness and exactness to erable anyone skilled in the art to make and use the apparatus, and while I have shown a specific form of brake-setting mechanism, it is evident that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of this invention so long as the block system is provided with automatically operated contacts one at each end of each block tor engagement by a suitable operating member on the engine or motor car for operating the engineers brake valve and thereby automatically setting the brakes of the car or train in case one car or train seeks to enter a block in which another train is present.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a brain: for single trai cmnbination of a track divided iiilj' jhb' insulated from each other and separate energizing circuits id signal system Copies of this patent may be connected across the rails of the several blocks, separate pairs of electrically controlled signals at adjacent ends of the blocks for trains moving in opposite directions, the signal facing each block being electrically connected across the rails of the next adjacent block, separate pairs of movable brakecontrolling members in the several blocks, each self-adjustable to its operative position, one pair for each block for trains moving in opposite directions, separate local electric circuits, one for each brake-controlling member, each local circuit includingtherein a self-opening electric switch and an electromagnet normally holding the brake-controlling members in their inoperative positions, separate electrical devices, one for each switch connected across the si gnalcontrolling circuits for normally closing the switches, each of said devices being rendered inoperative by the short circuiting of the block circuit through the presence of a car therein, thereby allowing the corresponding switch to open the adjacent local circuits for deenergizing the magnets corresponding to the opened local circuits and allowing the corresponding brake'controlling members to assume their operative positions, and means actuated by each opened switch for locking the brake-controlling member in its operative. position.

2. In a brake-control and signal system for single track railways, the combination with a single track electrically energized railway divided into blocks insulated from each other, each block having associated therewith separate brake-controlling members for trains moving in opposite directions and separate local electric circuits, one for each brake-controlling member, each local circuit including therein means for normally holding the corresponding brake-controlling member in its inoperative position, and a self-opening electric switch, separate electro-magnetic devices for said switches, each electrically connected across the rails of the next adjacent block, whereby when a car is present in that block it will short circuit the corresponding rails and thereby deenergizc such switch-holding magnet to allow the opening of the switch and consequent opening of the corresponding local circuit to release the adjacent brake-controlling member, and cooperative means between each switch and its brake-controlling member. for locking the latter in its operative position when the switch is o ened.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of October, 1913.

PETER SCHNEIDER. Witnesses:

' FRED EARHART,

JOHN J. WHITE.

btained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

